Leaf Fallen from the Sky
by theaddictwithapen
Summary: Hinata loses her memories just before falling from a cliff and landing directly in the center of the Akatsuki's plans for war and vengeance. By her side is the strange and comical Tobi who has taken a liking to her calming and generous personality, and wishes for her to fulfill a role within his dark life. (adopted by me)
1. chapter 1: angel

_Disclaimer: NEITHER I NOR ANYONE ELSE ON THIS WEBSITE OWNS NARUTO!_ Before reading, please understand that I do not have anyone except for the grammarly keyboard fixing my typos, so there may be a few every so often.

I have written the first chapter fast paced to get the ball rolling, but do not fear, I will slow the story down after everything gets going. Some characters may or may not seem out of character in this. Let me know what you think.

There will be violent and sexual themes explored within this story, hence the M rating. If these real life relationships and scenarios upset you, read the fluffy oneshots Naruhina fans write. There's a lot to go around if thats the case.

Each chapter will have a minimum of 6k words, which is about 16 pages long. This ensures that the story will be well over 100k before I start the second part. This also means I will update less frequently as well. Also, i thought I should add that the mobile uploading doesn't have the line breakers availible in the docs, so bare with me.

This is an Obito/Hinata fanfic, so beware of angst and other sad things from the Narutoverse, along with heavy spoilers.

Please, please, please, leave a review!

Chapter One: Angel

"Lady Tsunade! The ANBU squad has returned! There were no survivors!" Shizune rushed in, sweat pouring down her brow.

Tsunade quickly stood. "What?! Have the bodies been retrieved?" she asks, a nervous twitch taking over her right eye.

Shizune nodded with a solid gulp. "Six members were sent out on this mission. Only five bodies were found."

"Someone's out there still? Do you suspect they're still alive?" her blue painted nail tapped the mahogany wood of her desk. "Are the bodies identifiable?"

The pixie-haired brunette mumbled, "Perhaps someone is out there still, or they escaped. But it's almost impossible to identify the bodies found. Their hatai-ates are melted into the skin, and their teeth have been removed, Lady Tsunade."

Neji paced back and forth, not looking at anything particular. His mind was too foggy to focus on training.

Lady Hinata…. She was most likely dead. After all of their training. After all of the hard work that went into her progress. It's wasted. Along with her precious life.

With a quick surge of chakra, the dummy behind him was reduced to splinters. How was this possible?!

How could she leave him?!

His opal eyes narrowed with anger and malice. He trudged back to town, and down into the Konoha morgue under the Hokage tower. He needed to see the bodies for himself. He couldn't sit back and wait!

The ANBU who attempted to stop him was quietly and efficiently knocked out. He had to know. He couldn't wait another two weeks for autopsy results.

Three rooms down, and he found the batch of unidentifiable incinerated ninja. One of the bodies mouths were wide open in a panicked scream.

He grimaced, feeling a tear slide down his cheek.

 _"Neji-nii! Wait up!"_

 _Neji turned his head slightly, slowing down for his younger cousin. "What is it?"_

 _"Can I come to the hospital with you?" She asks, a small smile gracing her pouty lips._

 _Neji nodded, placing a hand on her lower back. "What for?" His stern voice would throw off any person watching him, but you could see it in his eyes that he was everything but stern while he was with her._

 _"I found a mending leech in the pond at home..." Neji grimaced when she pulled a jar from her knapsack. A fat, black, slug-looking creature was moving and stretching around on the glass. He shivered, looking away from the hideous worm. She stared at it fondly from the outside of the jar._

 _Hinata giggled, noticing his reaction. She was a peculiar young woman most of the time. She found that each creature and animal had a personality and a name. Never would there be a day where she disrespected a living beings life force._

 _That was one of the best qualities about her._

 _Humming, she looked forward at the road they were walking down._

 _His eyes found the spot on her arm where the leech had decided to attach and suck. It was a large blue patch of bruising and busted blood vessels._

 _With a friendly shove, Neji smirked down at her. "I don't know how you do it." He affectionately rubbed her back as they walked. "How can you be so kind and polite to something that was created to suck your blood? I don't understand that one." his lips tipped in a curvy smile. She was so adorable and selfless._

 _Any onlookers would think they were lovers with how close and friendly they were, but this simply wasn't the truth. They were siblings. They were soulmates._

 _"I will not abuse the leech because he desires my blood. It's his instincts, he doesn't understand he will hurt me by taking it." Her matter-of-factly tone made the older man think on her words, even after she was presumed dead. "I feel… as if I'm giving him life when he feeds off of me."_

The memories of her often silly antics washed through his mind. How he hoped and hoped she would be found eventually. But sadly, the chances of that happening were slim to none. If she was out there, Kabuto and his junky, immoral experiments would've killed her by now.

He wouldn't get his hopes up until there was a lead on where she was if she was still in fact out there.

Shikamaru caught his eye at the cafe across the way as Neji walked to the compound. He would definitely get his ass handed to him by the Hokage for knocking the ANBU out, but he had to see the bodies and they would've refused.

Shikamaru waved him over, a grim expression on his face. "How are you?" Shikamaru's words were filled with concern, as he knew his comrade was close with Hinata. They all were close to her. She was the precious china doll in the group of shinobi, after all. But Neji, Kiba, and Shino were closest to her.

"As good as I'll be for awhile." He confessed, sitting down across from the brunette with a scowl.

Shikamaru nodded stiffly. "Hinata knew what she signed up for, Neji, when she became a kunoichi."

The long-haired Jounin heaved a hefty sigh, leaning back in the chair and staring out at the villagers. It was shameful to walk around like nothing happened to their Hyuuga heiress like they all were.

 _Three days earlier._

 _"Hinata! He's behind you!" Without warning, she felt a prick behind her earlobe. Something was wrong! A firm grip tugged at her elbow and shoved her forward. Everything was a blur. A nauseating feeling washed over her consciousness._

 _Her footing was off as she got too close to the edge of the cliff. With the drop of her stomach came the stark whiteness of unconsciousness. It felt as if someone breached the inside of her skull. With the immense pain came a thud, but she was already out by the time she reached the bottom of the cliff._

"But. Deidara-senpai! I'm so very hungry!" The masked nin urged. "Come onnnnn! We can stop at that cute Dango shop on our way home!" The taller man squealed with excitement, thinking of the sweet, flavorful bean paste treat.

Deidara growled under his breath. "Whatever. But you're paying for mine for the inconvenience."

Behind his orange mask, the man was grinning ear to ear. "That works for me." The man quit walking, hearing a whistle in the wind above them. "Uh.. Deidara-senpai!" His olive-colored gloved hand pointed at the sky above them. The blonde bomber stopped walking and turned around with a scowl.

"Shut up Tobi! We're not even cl-" his words were cut off by the loud thud of a body falling onto his shoulder. The blonde fell to the ground, the body on top of him.

The blonde was knocked out now. What a troublesome situation.

This was no mere coincidence, the Uchiha knew.

Crouching down, the man flipped the body on top of his partner over and onto the ground to look at her face.

"Konoha…" he mumbled. Her face was pale and cold, so he quickly checked her temperature. "A leaf has fallen from the sky... And onto Deidara-senpai!"

He giggled, placing his head on her covered chest. Her heartbeat was there and was strangely steady for someone who just fell from around 200 feet. It was impossible to survive a fall like that.

The man looked down at his annoying and unconscious partner with a smirk. He got what he deserved. But he was alive still… Somehow. The sickening crack when she landed on the blonde was probably his shoulder coming out of place. Even better.

Quietly and efficiently, the man picked the girls body up and carried her off into the forest, leaving his partner on the ground. He'd use the hideout hut in grass country to take shelter for a few days. It was doomed to rain, as the grey clouds were already rolling in.

When he arrived at the small cabin, it had already begun to rain. His cloak was soaked, along with his under clothes. The girl was soaked as well, her ripped coat and pants sticking to her skin like a wetsuit.

He moved silently through the small house, laying her soaked body on the couch. With careful hands, he removed her clothing, piece by piece. He couldn't let the helpless dame catch pneumonia, could he?

Hours went by, and the girl had finally quit shivering. Her teeth chattering was getting on his nerves.

He sat down beside the bed she was tucked into, scanning her face and neck. He'd sensed Kabuto's chakra just moments before she'd fallen. She shouldn't have been unconscious still, but knowing Kabuto and his strange methods, he'd probably attacked her insides. He slipped the glove from his hand and brushed her hair from her face and neck. Her pulse was strangely active. Her heartbeat was faster than it should've been. Standing up, he scanned the other side of her neck.

"Well.. whaddya know." He mused. A large purplish-yellow bruise covered the entire layer of skin behind her ear.

He silently wondered what kind of poison the strange man used on the poor thing. What would he do when she woke up if she chose to fight him?

He'd have to kill her.

The girl let out a slow groan, lifting her torso off the uncomfortable mattress. Where was she?

She whipped her head around. "Wh-what is this?! Who…" her muscles cried out when she stood up. Her eyes were wide with panic. "What!?" Who was she? Where was she?! Why was her body so pained?

Her eyes fell on the change of clothes laying on the shelf beside the musty mattress. Silently, she stepped off the bed and pulled the shirt and pants over her currently naked body. "Is-is anyone there?!" She screamed out into the house.

Rain poured down the window of the room. Whoever was there was most likely in the house due to the storming.

Her pale eyes widened when a stepped into the room. He wore a mask over his face and was completely covered head to toe. A bad feeling rose in her chest. "Wh-who are you?" She backed up, hitting the mattress and falling on her back. "I don't know who I am!!!" her voice raised in a panicked cry. "Do you know who I am?" she pleaded with him. "Why can't I remember anything?!"

The mysterious man crouched down to her level. "Hime fell from a cliff! Deidara-senpai got the brunt of your fall, though!"

She looked at her lap, her eyes lowering in sadness. "Is he okay?" She asks, understanding that he didn't know who she was.

The tall man tilted his masked face in amusement. Before he could respond, a man walked into the house, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Deidara-senpai!" The orange mask screeched. "You're alive!!"

"Tobi! I'm going to blow you to oblivion!!!!" Deidara marched into the room where his idiot partner was, glaring him down with steely blue eyes. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't!"

Tobi giggled, stepping away and revealing the Hyuuga girl behind him. "Well, you don't want to kill our guest as a casualty, do you?"

Deidara eyed the horrified young woman. His gaze scrutinizing and analytical, she blushed and looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "Who is she, Tobi?! Are you going to kill her?"

Tobi shook his head profusely. "No, senpai! You wouldn't kill a kitten, would you? The young maiden has lost all of her memory!"

Deidara eyed him with a look that said: "The fuck you think?". "It's not my problem." The blonde growled lowly.

The meek voice behind them spoke up, cutting into their heated discussion. "I-I… I'm leaving now.." She looked away from them. "I don't want to stay beyond my welcome. Thank you, Tobi-san." She smiled at him, slipping by and out the door.

"We can't let her just waltz out of here! She saw two men in Akatsuki cloaks!"

It was as if a light switch flicked on in the masked ninjas mind. He darted out of the house to catch up to her. It was easy, seeing as she was running without the usage of her chakra.

With a quick burst of chakra, he jumped and landed in front of her. All without any restraint.

The girl flinched. Her eyes grew wide like they seemed to do often. "I-I.. I don't want to be a nuisance." She said as if it was a confession.

A slippery smile encased his lips under the thick mask. That was her insecurity. This girl was… interesting. A lost Hyuuga with no memory of anything at all. Like a child, only knowing how to breathe and speak and walk. She had something familiar about her. Maybe he'd seen her before?

He reached a gloved hand out and tilted her chin up to face him. "Does Hime not know her own name?"

The girl's wide eyes strayed from his mask, seemingly embarrassed. "No." She said quietly. She pulled her face from his hand. "I must go. I need to find out who I am."

The man stood in front her before she got too far. "I know who did this to you. If you come with me, I can take you to him in a few days to find out what he did."

The girl looked baffled at his suggestion. "How do you know who he is? Why.. would anyone do such a thing to a stranger? I don't think I could have done anything to him.." her frustration seemed amusing to him. It made her frown deeper.

She was a feisty little thing, he mused. With one quick movement, the man leaned forward and poked the needle wound behind her ear. "I think you're in luck, dear hime! It was fate that Tobi caught you so bravely as you tumbled down the mountainside!" he threw his arms up in an animated fashion.

The little Hyuuga jumped back in surprise at his shouting.

"T-Tobi-san.." she averted her eyes from him to stare at the more interesting bits of sand in the crevices in her sandals. "I understand… but you are a stranger." She poked her fingers together in old habit. "I cannot simply trust you because you tell me so."

He shook his head. "If you wish to be killed off by petty bandits and thieves, go ahead. Those eyes in your head are dojutsu, and go for a pretty penny."

He pulled a mirror from his pocket to the young woman's bewilderment and shoved it in her face.

The young woman stared at her reflection for a moment. "What do you mean by that?"

The man lifted her bangs. "You aren't sealed. Your eyes are very, very vulnerable and valuable." the tone in his voice changed so much the girl stepped back in awe. She stared heavily into the hole in the mask, trying to make out anything about his face. This man was a complete stranger. He must've wanted something from her since she was so vulnerable not knowing anything about her own life. Did he want her eyes?

The more she took the time to think on it, the more she was leaning towards going with the strange man that spoke in third person. Maybe there would be a cure for her problem. There was so much her brain was lacking, and it was killing her.

He had saved her, after all. She owed him any favors he needed. If it weren't for him and his comrade, she would've fallen to her death, and here she was with little to no serious injury. But it dawned on her that even if she were to have broken the fall, something should've been broken or pulled in her body. Of course she had bruises everywhere, but some looked to be days old.

"Can you help me find my name if I come with you?'

She asked with so much sincerity that the man smiled ever so slightly.

"Hai."

Why was he doing so much for this girl? Why did he want to help her at all to begin with?! He had seen something in her face, the way she moved. Her hair and eyes. He was entranced with her. She was like an angel compared to him.

The way she spoke told him that she was anything but evil.

"Only if you come with me, though."

What did he want? Why did he want her?

A thought suddenly entered her mind. "Wh-when I was knocked out, I had a dream. I can't remember most of it, but there were a lot of sunflowers. Perhaps it means something..?"

The taller man placed a finger on his "chin". "Maybe! Now let's go before Deidara finds us!"

Tobi swept his arms around her, much to her displeasure, and tossed her over his shoulder. Grunting, she gripped his shoulders. "T-Tobi-san!"

Without a response, he took off into the forest.

Two weeks later

"The Hokage has decided to quit sending ninja out in search of the missing ninja from the massacre. This means, should Hinata be alive, she will die soon enough."

Neji clenched his fists. "What good will that do, Lord Hiashi? We give up trying to find her, and the Byakugan may be exposed to the hidden leafs enemies! And she is the rightful heir of the Hyuuga clan! We cannot just stop!"

Hiashi nodded, his lips stretched into a thin line. He never thought he'd have to say the words he was about to. Not about his own child, at least. "We cannot waste time and precious energy with the war brewing and whatnot. I'm sorry I have to tell you this, Neji, but Hinata is dead. There has been no proof that she still lives. The tracker ninja found no trace of her, and her scent couldn't be detected on any of the bodies because they've been burned so badly. It's a lost cause until we have reason to believe she is alive."

The brunette teen narrowed his eyes at his uncle. "Hn."

Quickly, he turned to leave.

As soon as he got to the training fields, Kiba and Shino approached him. Their chakra sneaking up on his distracted byakugan.

"Neji! We need to talk." Kiba hollered, jumping from the tree.

The Hyuuga nodded his head in a stiff motion, walking over to the pair.

Shino landed beside the gruff dog trainer, nodding in Neji's direction. "Neji."

"Shino." He acknowledged.

"Here's the deal. Shino and I have reason to believe Hinata is alive." He stated. His brown eyes scanned the Hyuuga male. Neji held his composure quite well for a broken-hearted teen, he mused.

Neji squinted. "What do you know?!"

Kiba raised his bands in surrender. "Calm down, fluffy." He joked. "I could detect Hinata's scent from miles away. There is no possible way that any of those bodies was hers. Plus, they're all taller than she is. I'm not sure how they possibly missed that in the first place."

Neji felt a sense of joy overrun his stricken heart. How he himself missed that, was beyond him. "What do you propose we do about it?" he crossed his pale arms.

Kiba looked to Shino to explain. The mysterious young man spoke up, his voice firm and almost reassuring. "Everyone aside from Naruto knows of our plan, as he's training away from the village to prepare for the war." he informed him. "Team seven, Sakura and Sai, are going to leave in two days independently to sweep over a large portion of grass country. Sai has the ability to fly above ground to get a larger perspective, which will be necessary for spotting possible Akatsuki members, which would become larger threats than anything else." He steadily says. "Lee, team 8, and Shikamaru and Ino will head out, depending on what team seven finds. With your help and dojutsu, this operation will be much smoother as well."

Neji nods slowly. "That sounds well thought out. I'm in. If anyone will find Hinata, it is going to be us."

Relief washed over him as he walked back to the compound where he was again greeted by his uncle. "Neji, I apologize for how I spoke earlier."

"Arigatou."

Arriving at his room, he slid the door shut and reached under his bed. "I didn't need to hide this, after all." He muttered, grabbing the frame. It was a pressed string of lavender, surrounded by daffodils. Their color was preserved extremely well, he noted for the first time.

After word got out that she was dead, he shoved the frame under his bed. The best way to mourn a death was to rid your physical dwelling of any sign that they were once alive. That was how most people did it in the world of shinobi.

He scanned it for what seemed like an eternity, counting the wrinkles and creases in the yellow petals. Hopefully, she was still alive. Her pristine, alabaster skin didn't deserve the fate of the other incinerated ninja that were laid out in the investigation morgue under the Hokages tower.

Neji looked up when his door was slid open. His younger cousin stepped in, looking down at the floor. She slowly walked in and sat beside him. Hanabi had been greatly affected by her sisters apparent death. More than anyone else was. He rubbed her shoulder in quiet comfort, smiling a little. "Hinata is out there. I know she is, now." He says lowly.

Hanabi lifted her head and stared him down in shock. "W-what do you mean?!"

Neji placed his index finger on his lips to shush her shouts. She immediately calmed down and pushed him off her shoulder. "Explain right now, Neji-nii!"

"W-would you like me to cook for you, Tobi-san?" Her timid voice arose from the couch near the back of the room.

The base was filled with screaming and fighting over Tobi's childish actions against the blonde who was threatening to blow the entire place up, sacrificing himself and everyone else to squash the pest of a grown man that was his new partner. The manic look in his blue eyes scared the young woman shitless.

"My cooking is fine, yeah!" He hollered, whipping his head around at the scared kitten of a young woman.

The bluette gulped hard and loud, glancing around the room at the other members for help. Of which, she received none. When the blonde man came marching toward her, she quickly lifted her forearms to cover her face and neck from whatever blows she'd receive.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that!"

Before the blonde could reach out and grab her hair, he was stopped by a taller, more mysterious figure. "If you touch her, I'll kill you." The masked man muttered in his dark tone, two of his fingers pressing firmly on the back of his partner's neck in warning.

Over the two weeks and with research, he'd learned that her name was Hinata, and she was the current heiress to the Hyuuga clan. The information was only confirming his already blooming theories on her. He'd probed a lab Kabuto had been working on over the last month, collecting information on the amnesiatic fluid he'd poisoned his Hime with.

Deidara repressed the urge to shiver. "Fuck you, retard!" He turned around and stomped off.

The innocent looking shark nin at the entrance of the room awkwardly stepped back to give the blonde room to leave.

"I vote the kit makes the food around here. Women are always better at it, anyway." He said, smiling at the girl with a sharp grin. "Just because the kid looks like a girl, doesn't make him one." Deidara screamed some sort of profanity from down the hall.

She smiled back shyly, avoiding prolonged eye contact.

"T-thank you, Tobi-san. I can cook for everyone if you'd like."

The masked nin nodded, switching personalities. "Yes, yes, yes! Hime will cook and not make my stomach hurt!" He giggled sweeping her off the sofa, dragging her in circles. He waved his arms around in a strange dance, causing the girl to giggle more. Just what he wanted.

Hidan, who was strangely quiet, spoke up. "Hurry up with it! Me and everyone else in this joint is starving!" He urged.

Hinata nodded, rushing out of the room to the small kitchen down the hall. In her two weeks of living here, she'd grown accustomed to the lack of sunlight, and though she missed being outside, it was always raining in this country and she'd preferred the artificial lighting from the sconces.

She quickly began working in her space in the kitchen, finding a recipe book to guide her. It was owned by an unknown member named Kakuzu who was out on a solo mission. She wondered what he looked like.

There was also another member who wasn't here. Itachi was his name if she recalled correctly. She wondered if he was nice like Tobi-san.

Quietly and expertly, she fumbled around the drawers and through the shelves in the fridge. "Vegetable broth…" she quietly mumbled to herself, pulling the jug out. "Eggs…."

"Do you need any help, Hime?" Tobi sounded from the entrance of the room, his back leaning casually against the wall.

The girl squeaked, being pulled from her concentration. "N-no!" She reassured herself more than him. She had to be able to at least cook for them, as they were letting her stay here for free. So far, Tobi hadn't asked anything of her. She silently hoped he wouldn't any time soon while she was getting accustomed to living here. He'd brought back files from the blown bunker the man who erased her memories was using. Her memories were gone temporarily, from what she understood. That meant that maybe in a few months she'd gain back pieces and bits of her old thoughts and feelings and maybe even images of the people she cared about.

She'd already begun to gain back her astounding coordination, which was unexpected by how strong and potent the drug had been.

She slipped through the halls soundlessly, sneaking up on everyone on accident. She could only guess that was a part of her talents when she was an active duty ninja.

"I see." He says, stepping further into the kitchen and placing a seat at the beaten table.

She continued to work in comfortable silence. The older man sat quietly, watching her delicate fingers move through the items splayed on the counter.

Hidan, Tobi, Kisame, herself and hopefully Deidara-senpai would all be eating. To be safe, she went ahead and placed five eggs in the boiling water shed already placed over the stove.

"What have you decided to make, Hime?" he asks as the minutes went by.

"Uhm… Miso ramen." She states, reading the page after forgetting.

"Sounds palatable!" He exclaims loudly, "unlike Deidara-senpai's food. It's usually charred and overcooked.." he trailed off.

His Hime giggled in response, letting their conversation close.

She moved her hands in an expert fashion once more. She pulled a second pot out and filled it with water for the noodles.

"Pein wants you to join us as an Akatsuki member." Tobi said, his voice low once more.

The first two weeks had been routine. She swept each room, vacuumed when necessary, washed the dishes from dinner and lunch, and washed clothes in the stream that ran in the hideouts connected cave near the entrance. Her polite nature had bidded her to do so without even being asked. Everyone except for Deidara and Hidan had been nice. So really, just Kisame and Tobi. She'd yet run into the leader of their mysterious cult, and she was slightly nervous to.

"And if I refuse..?" She asks quietly.

Tobi paused for a few moments before answering. "I will have to kill you if you refuse."

This was it. This was what she was here for. To work for them.

"What does working for you entail?"

Her voice was so muted, the man leaned forward slightly to hear her better.

"Hmm? What did Hime say?"

She'd grown used to his nickname, as her given it to her before she even came here. It still sounded.. Off.. each time he said it. Sweat began to pool on her brow. "I said.. What does working in the Akatsuki entail?" The undertones in her voice told him she was beginning to grow extremely agitated. A slow smirk grew under his mask and he folded his arms.

"It entails that you follow any order given, and that you finish each mission without complaint or failure." He informed, his voice thin and neutral. "You may have to assassinate the occasional princess or feudal lord for the sake of the ultimate goal in our family."

Hinata swallowed the saliva that collected in her mouth. It had been in her gut that something was very off about them. Deidara had come back with blood all over him, but she didn't think much of it. They disturbed her as well. The murder wasn't in her blood. How could she kill anyone?!

Unknown to her, she'd killed three people the day she fell from the cliff and lost her memories.

"I don't have any memory of training or ninjutsu. I don't understand how this is.. Possible for me to do." She trailed off, mindlessly stirring the noodles.

As quiet as a mouse, the masked nin got up and looked over the page in the recipe book. "The broth requires vegetables, and the noodles are now almost done. I think Hime is off in wonderland!" He finished with a childish giggle.

Something told Hinata that she needed to be careful with him, especially since she was just threatened by him moments ago. But his aura was very off. She could sense the fire within him.. It was blazing and bloody. Her own was like a quiet river, filled with life and angry. They were literally opposites in this way.

"Go-gomenasai!" She shrieked, pulling back from the stove to pull the celery and carrots out.

To her surprise, had already retrieved the necessary ingredients and laid a knife out for her to use to chop. "Are you sure you don't need any help, Hime?" he teased.

She blushed in response. "I'd like to do this by myself… arigatou, Tobi-san.."

Something gnawed at his chest when he had to tell her the truth. She'd seemed happy and content to quietly work on their food, but he had to rip the band-aid off.

So, he offered consolation. "Would Hime like to go outside after dinner? We can go somewhere that's not raining." he suggested.

Her eyes lit up at his words. "H-hai!" She replied, nodding. "That would be very kind of you." She smiled at him.

Hinata slowly filled each bowl, placing them on the table, a split boiled egg in each helping after all of them were made.

She pushed the masked nin out of the kitchen as she prepared everything, hoping to impress her new comrades with her cooking and dressing of the worn wooden table.

"Dinner is ready!" She shouted into the hall.

As if he was a magician, Tobi appeared and immediately sat down in his respected chair.

Slowly the other men filtered into the room with grumbling tummies. "Thanks, bitch." Hidan said, his eyebrows raised.

He didn't think anyone could make anything even remotely digestible with the food in the fridge.

"Where is Deidara-senpai?" She asked the blue ninja with gills.

Kisame looked up from his bowl, his face full of noodles. "I dunno." He managed.

Hinata sighed, sitting down dejectedly. "Fucking delicious.." Hidan mumbled.

The masked nin agreed, though he was using a jutsu to black out his face when he took the mask off. "I didn't know Hime could cook so well!"

Kisame grinned a toothy, shark-like grin. "This is the first and last time I'll agree with that fool." he winked at the blue haired girl, causing her skin to turn a lovely shade of scarlet. "From what I heard, leader-same is going to make you into a full-fledged member of the Akatsuki."

The Hyuuga lowered her eyes to the bowl in front of her. She suddenly remembered the events from half an hour ago. "Hai.."

Kisame tilted a brow. "What's got you down, kit?" his slightly concerned tone wasn't used on everyone. The girl was kind and peaceful, never causing issues or drama like most of the female population on the planet. He quite enjoyed her presence when she was around.

Kisame enjoyed people like her. Though, he now knew they existed to begin with because of her.

"I don't know how that is going to work. I know I was a kunoichi now, but I don't know what to do to train.."

Kisame dropped his chopsticks into his bowl, finishing his broth. "Don't stress, kit. Were all going to rotate training to help you begin your life as a kunoichi again. With our help, you could easily become stronger than you could back where you came from." His reassuring smile made the young woman feel only a tiny bit better. She was also worried about training with the ninja here. They were powerhouses from their energy she could sense.

Tobi spoke up instead of Kisame. She looked over at him. He also just finished his bowl. They must've been hungry!

"You should just listen to Tobi. Your abilities will come back as you start training. There is no need for worrying and whining." The last sentence was filled with irritation. "Finish your food so we can walk!" He snapped, standing up and taking his bowl to the sink.

Kisame rolled his eyes comically, following behind the slightly shorter male.

"Stop screaming, captain retard!" Hidan hissed. "Little miss bitch face has no confidence, it seems. Just leave it at that and let the enemies kill her off." He narrowed his beautiful eyes at her. "The Akatsuki has no use for weak little bitches, like miss barbie here."

The venom in his voice could almost make her flinch. But she quickly took his words to heart. It was as if she'd felt this same, desperate feeling before. She wanted confidence but couldn't quite grasp it.

Tobi seemed to not be paying attention to anything the vulgar immortal was saying. In reality, he was waiting for her to respond to his insults, but it never came.

Maybe someday soon she could grow a thick spine for herself. You can't survive the Akatsuki without one.

"Good morning, hag." Sai greeted the pinkette. The fake smile plastered across his lips did little to help diminish his terrible reputation for being a closet pervert and an asshole.

Sakura sighed. "Good morning, Sai." She seemed annoyed with even having to be up at this hour, but they had to leave while the guards were exchanging posts from shifts. This was going to be her only week off for quite a while, and she didn't want to be on a secret mission. But her friend's life was on the line, and Kiba and Shino swore up and down she was still out there, so shed trust them. After all, they were some of Hinata closest friends.

Sai couldn't figure out why she was in such a terrible mood. He, himself would never hesitate to save a comrade, so her facial expressions were quite bogus to him.

He stared plainly ahead, recalling her appearance. He'd stolen files on the girl for the sake of their mission, just to figure out what their mission may entail.

She was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan, making her first and last name prominent within the village.

Her disappearance was treated urgently at first, but with there being no trace of her, there were only conclusions to be made. She had long, navy hair, and trademark Hyuuga irises and pupils. Her appearance was somewhat exotic, who finding her from the skies wouldn't actually be too difficult.

She was also rather pale, which would help her stand out more as well.

He pulled the map from his bag, and looked over it as they passed the gates and were deep in the forest. "Were stopping in Nanigashi for the night." He stated. "Approximately 8 hours from here."

Sakura sighed in response, leaning back and staring at the clouds. "When can we use your jutsu?" She asked. Sakura normally wasn't nearly this impatient, but this whole mission seemed like there was no point. If the Hokage doesn't think she's really alive, why were they going out of their way to find someone that wasn't there.

The more the thought on it, it seemed strange that they were avoiding searching for her until there was at least some evidence to prove she was or wasn't alive.

"We have to wait until we're at least 4 miles outside of the village, or we risk being caught."

Sakura frowned at the idea of being caught leaving the village without permission.

"Alright. I hope we find some proof that she's alive, or else there's no point to this."

Sai glanced at her from the side. "I must ask… what if this was Sasuke we were looking for? Or maybe Naruto-kun? Would you still be complaining, then?"

Sakura seemed stunned at his words. It was as if he'd struck a strong, baritone chord within her. "Y-you're right, Sai."

Kiba and Shino were closer with Hinata and one another than team seven ever was or would be. With their sameness in prowess, none of them were ever needed specifically outside of their squad but on rare occasions. She couldn't imagine what they must have been feeling hearing about her supposed death.

"I've never seen them fight or bicker with one another, come to think of it. Though they lack the strength of team 7 and the intelligence of team 10, they seem to play the role of the trackers and assassins in Konoha 11. It's very necessary to have ninja like them readily available for the village."

His words stood out to her. She'd never really paid much attention to the trio of ninja that always seemed to be together. Kiba was the loudest one, like Naruto, brash and unthinking, Shino was the quietest, only gracing the others with his thoughts when necessary, and little Hinata was the generous, forgiving angel that glued them together, and didn't often need protecting, but her boys did so anyway.

Sakura smiled to herself at the thought. She'd help them find their angel, no matter what it took.


	2. chapter 2: demon

_Thanks for the four reviews I got on just the first chapter! That's never happened to me on one of my stories before. If anyone has read any really good UchihaHina stories, please let me know what they're called and who they're by. Sorry about the line breaks I had to add to separate scenes. They're kinda irritating, I know. Anyway, please leave your thoughts in a review._

Chapter 2: Demon

Sakura leaned her head back, gazing at the stars above. The night sky seemed so vivid in complete darkness. There wasn't any artificial light from the village to drown or dim the twinkling colors of distant planets and stars. It was like a movie, but no stressful plot or cringe-worthy romances to be wary of. Just the romance between you and the vast, navy colored sky.

The huge, white bird she was on soared almost soundlessly through the sky. The work of her truly talented teammate, Sai. His dark eyes were focused on their destination more so than the stars above. It was too bad, because the view was amazing up there.

She lifted her creamy, tanned arms and stretched. It was their second day of travel and they'd been in the sky almost all day. She wanted to walk around and get her blood moving, but Sai was focused rather hard.

Sakura had a lot of time to reflect as she sat atop the ink-filled bird. Her life, thoughts on her friends, her family, and her extremely unrequited love. Overall, she found that her life was slowly becoming what she desired it to be. She was working for Tsunade, she was soon going to become a full-time medic nin, something that would surely pay the bills and rent without issue.

Sasuke was out there, still walking around as a missing ninja of the leaf village, but he was safe and Sakura knew this. That's what mattered.

Absentmindedly, she pulled an unopened lip balm from her holster, intending to lather it over her lips as the constant wind had dried them out. Attempting to open it, the golden tube flew from her hands, disappearing into the void under her. "Dammit.." She mumbled, her sparkling green eyes scanning the foliage below. There was no way to see it, but that didn't stop her from mourning to herself.

"What happened?" Sai asked, getting closer to her bird with his own.

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing. No worries." That chapstick was expensive!

Sai nodded. "I feel that you're growing restless. There's a village a few miles ahead. We can stop there, if you like."

Sakura nodded fast in reply.

(Line break)

The village they arrived at was lively and busy, even for the late hour it was. There was a small festival happening, but something like that shouldn't singlehandedly cause such excitement, but it didn't seem to matter. Sakura wandered down the street, looking around. Luckily, this village in particular was under the hidden leafs protection, so there were already shinobi guards everywhere to make the Haruno seem less conspicuous.

So, she opted to enjoy herself while she was here and while she was off of work.

This self-proclaimed mission may take awhile, so she might as well let loose for a few hours.

She walked down the busy street where a few dozen food and game booths were set up to find an appropriate dinner to retire with. With a quiet hum, she decided on something healthy and filling and cheap. Maybe she'd even have leftovers.

After purchasing her takeout, she began on her way to the hotel she and Sai were staying at.

The room was quiet and utterly lonely, she concluded, sitting at the one seated desk. Even Sai would've been better company than no one. He was probably eating right now, or showering to prepare for the day ahead of them.

Thinking on it and taking a large bite, Hinata should've shown up by now if she was alive. Anywhere, really. The fact that this mission could end with them finding her body somewhere, being claimed by the earth and the animals that roamed the forest..

It was a dark and morbid thought indeed. But if they found her wounded, Sakura would save her. Sakura would heal her until she herself passed out from exhaustion. This was her comrade. This was the Heiress to Konoha's most noble clan. The thought of her, laying there on one of Orochimaru's lab tables with her eyes removed and gouged out. She resisted the upcoming shiver, taking another spoonful of the hearty vegetable soup.

What else could there be? She wouldn't just disappear into thin air. She was a Hyuuga for crying out loud! They definitely couldn't walk off grid even if they wanted. Their eyes gave them away immediately.

What if she'd been kidnapped? Or worse, what if she was sold as a sex slave or a slave in general!

Sakura found herself chewing on her painted nails more than the food. Feeling rather nauseous, she wrapped the bowl and put it in the tiny fridge by the bed.

A knock sounded on the door moments later.

"Sai?" She asks, staring him in the face with a raised brow. "Are you okay?"

The pale man nodded. "Yes. I would like to go over the details of our mission before we continue tomorrow."

Sakura stepped aside to allow him entrance. "Of course." She smiled.

He sat at the table where she'd been sitting and placed his hands on his thighs. His entire being was awkward. It must have been terrible to never feel anything your entire life, and then suddenly everyone expects you to deal with it like any normal person. Sakura frowned to herself. His life was tragic.

"I spoke to a few of the villagers here. There were several reports of Akatsuki members skulking around the outskirts of the village, a few miles south of here around the time of the team's death."

Sakura gaped. "Oh, Kami…"

"We will have to tread lightly tomorrow. I do not believe you or I have enough strength to defeat an s-classed ninja quite yet."

His lack in confidence sent shivers down her spine. Sai was a very logical ninja, and he was overly honest most of the time. He must have felt intimidated by the idea of fighting one of these powerhouses. She herself was.

"Do you think that they did anything.. To her?"

Sai stared blankly for a few moments before choosing his words. "I'm not totally sure. I'm guessing we'll be finding out soon."

Sakura nodded without words.

(Line break)

"Two Leaf dicks were headed to Nanigashi. One of them dropped their bubblegum chapstick exactly where i decided to camp for the night."

Tobi stared at the masochist through his mask. "What was their motive?"

Hidan shrugged. "I don't fucking know. All I was able to find out is that your princess was pretty much dumped by her village."

The ninja opposite of him crossed his arms. "She's meek, and was no doubt an inadequate ninja." Tobi said indifferently. "Where is it?"

Hidan smirked, pulling the manila folder from his cloak. "I said I completed the mission, didn't I?" He shoved it into the man's hands before making his leave.

The dank smelling shrine was giving him a headache.

Her files were better than he expected. But they weren't great. The amount of failed missions was greater than the succeeding ones. She lost a match against some kid in her family, but finished in the forest of death. How strange…

Quietly and swiftly, he placed the file in his duffel bag and continued on his way back to the base.

Her training would begin soon. Each member would have a session with her, and whoever fit her fighting technique best would train her permanently.

Pein decided to keep the Hyuuga fly that decided to float into their web, to turn the said fly into a spider. If she didn't survive their training sessions, that was it for her. Her eyes would be harvested along with her other organs. Truthfully, the Byakugan wouldn't do much to help their plans, so it could be sold for more than it was worth to some sad, power hungry fool.

She was outside when he got to the entrance. The hood covering her head didn't hide her pale hands bunching the hem of the coat. "You're back!" She stood, looking up with a smile. "I would like to.. um.. talk to you." She'd only known him for two weeks.

Though, for some reason, it felt like he knew more about her than she would ever know about him.

The man put his hands on his hips. "What would Hime like to talk about, hm?"

It was his strange, childlike voice. It was oddly unsettling that day. "I don't want to hurt anyone…" she finally said. "I don't want to cause anyone pain." She lowered her eyes, feeling obviously inferior. The man towering above her was always emanating power that she herself could never even hope to harness.

The man placed a gloved hand atop her head. "You may not have the choice, Hime. Tell me, what made you feel like this so suddenly."

Talking to Tobi-san was like talking to your father as a toddler.

Everything seemed so silly to him.

"I realize that I may have killed someone before.. That wasn't why I was born, to kill. I was born to heal and care for people, I think." she was unsure

There was quiet determination in her voice as she spoke, but it was only a flicker of a flame. He feared it would one day become a forest fire that he'd have to extinguish himself. There was no reason for the man to care for the girl. He wasn't even sure he did. But something in his chest told him to protect her. She reminded him of her.

Without speaking, he slipped out a kunai and threw it at her face.

As if her instincts suddenly kicked in, her arm lifted and a burst of chakra exited her pores. The shield she'd accidentally created blocked the weapon, making it drop to the grass under her.

"Being able to protect yourself should be your main goal, Hinata."

The girl was breathing hard, staring down at the discarded weapon.

"Who let you stay out here by yourself?" There it was, the fatherly voice again.

She chewed on her lower lip. "I did. I can't leave without being killed, Tobi-san. I'm not ignorant." she was shocked he openly attacked her, but it wasn't too crazy the more she thought about it.

He'd proved that he would kill her if she ever provoked him on many occasions since she woke up with no memory. He wasn't fully sane, and neither was anyone else she'd met in the Akatsuki.

Something was very wrong about them. The energy in the space around them, it was toxic, it was ichorish, like steaming tar or infected pus seeping from a deadly wound.

She gulped, squatting to pick the throwing knife up.

"Hn." He mumbled, turning away.

Hinata inspected the gadget, her finger sliding down the dull blade. "I don't know how I did that."

Toni turned his head, staring off into the field around them. "Your body knows how to fight, even when your brain can't recall it. Trust your instincts."

She was about to respond, but he'd pulled a katana from who-knows-where and was chasing her down, swiping at her. She panted, feeling the chakra course through her veins. "P-please don't!" She cried out. She knew he was testing her. With a quick boost, she jumped in the air, landing on a branch high above the ground. Her body was reacting before she herself could comprehend it. "Why are you doing this!?"

She jumped from limb to limb before finally feeling her sandal slide across the wood from the slippery rain covered branch. Her jaw snapped across as she fell. With a cry of pain, she dropped to the ground. It was as if this had happened once before.

Before she hit the ground, the masked nin appeared under her to break her fall. "This." He answered her question from before. He was correct, and she knew it. She would be killed instantly if she went out on a mission with her meek strength she currently had. She stared at the orange shell mask, counting the scratches and cracks it adorned from constant wear. Her wide, pale eyes caught his attention. They weren't white like the other Hyuuga. They weren't unfeeling and pompous. "I'll take you home. You're bleeding."

She'd completely forgotten that she bit the inside of her cheek so hard her mouth tasted like copper. Her wisdom teeth felt like they'd bitten into a rock. The pain caught up with her, and her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want this.." She barely said.

Tobi ignored her complaints. "Its bedtime, Hime." He muttered.

The stress and exhaustion from the few events that just passed bit her in the back and she fell asleep as they neared the entrance of the hideout.

He gently took her to his room, his steps making no more noise than a scurrying mouse. Blood dried around her mouth, so he wiped it away after laying her out on his mattress.

She was an angel, truly. He'd never say it, but his chest twisted uncomfortably when he thought of having to kill her should she try to run.

If she gained her memories back, it was a sure thing.

He gated his feelings, refusing to acknowledge them. Her eyes held that kindness.

He slipped his gloves off, deciding to finally take it upon himself to touch her hair. The inky color looked so silky, splayed out on his pillow.

Her chest rose and fell in an even beat. He'd seen her naked skin as he changed her out of the saturated, tattered clothes the first day he knew her. He was a monster, but he wasn't a rapist. He didn't look unless necessary that day.

From the moment she fell from the clouds, he'd been looming behind her as a demonic guardian, protecting its gold. Their story would always be morbid and darkened by his fated destiny. The girl was a weak Hyuuga. A weak supposed Heiress to the Uchiha's rival clan. An Heiress in the village he vowed to destroy.

No.

There would be no such story written in the stars for the two of them.

He needed to honor her legacy.

He walked to his bathroom, slipping the mask from his face. "For you, Rin." He mumbled.

(Line break)

The pinkette stared the shack down with curiosity in her eyes. "Hello?! Is anyone in here?" She knocked hard on the door, almost busting it open.

With no answer, she turned to Sai, who shrugged. She chewed on her lip, deciding to break the entering.

The shack wasn't exactly a shack on the inside. It was a full blown house. A ripped couch, a stove and refrigerator. "Is anyone here?!" she hollered, sticking her head all the way in. "I guess not…"

This time, she shrugged. Walking in, something felt different. Like she and Sai weren't supposed to find this place. Cautiously, and as if there were booby traps in every crease, she stepped through the living room.

"Go to the back, look for any kind of evidence." She ordered him, pointing to the elongated hallway.

With a pounding heart, she began her search in the living area. She ripped the cushions off the couch, inspecting under them, she looked under the couch, atop the ancient fridge and over the small counter space. Nothing..

She frowned.

Sai emerged from the bedroom moments later, shaking his head. "I haven't found anything."

Sakura groaned in frustration. She had a good feeling about this place.

Maybe she wasn't looking closely enough..

It was useless to search a place like this without Kiba or Shino.

But she felt it in her soul that this place was more important than it let on. She walked through the house, occasionally stomping her foot to check for a cellar door.

Nothing here…

Nope.

Hmm..

With a frown, they left the shack. Nothing.

"Dammit.."

Their trip out there had been in vain.

She tightened her lips, climbing atop the giant bird. "Im sure something will come up if she's still out there like Kiba and Shino suggest." She said to herself.

Sai didn't respond, figuring she was trying to comfort her own thoughts with measurement.

After an hour of flight, Sai eventually broke the silence. "Will we be sending them out here? Kiba and Shino?"

Sakura nodded her head, not looking him in the face.

(Line break)

"Ohayo, kit." Kisame approached her. Her dark hair was falling in tendrils over her shoulders. She was crouched down, her back to him. He curiously stepped to her side.

"Ohayo, shark-san." She mumbled. Kisame watched her pick up shards of glass from the cold floor. He stooped down to her level, helping her with the unfavorable job.

"What broke?" he asked neutrally.

She picked up a large piece inspecting it. "I'm not quite sure. Deidara-senpai and Tobi-san were fighting." Fighting was a loose word to use with them. They didn't actually fight, Deidara only did.

Kisame smirked. "Yeah, I bet. Tobi probably stole blondies panties. Dumb fucks." The corner of his lips lifted when the girl giggled.

"Maybe." She watched his greyish hands dispose of the last large shard. "Arigatou." She thanked him.

Kisame was a kind man once you got past his terrifying appearance. Many people just looked at him and screamed.

She guessed he killed someone by looking at them at least once. Kami knows she almost fainted the first time she saw him.

"No problem." He flashed his sharpened teeth.

Her steps made no sound as she traveled through the maze of hallways and doors to exit the hideout. Her body was slowly showing signs of a seasoned kunoichi as time went on.

She hadn't even begun to show signs of true progress, but this would be a slow process. Kabuto's drug was long lasting but temporary. The effects could vary to around 4 months to several years, and he'd used it on several victims and placed them under genjutsu. Tobi could only guess that his plans were to do the same to Hinata to test her dojutsu under the extreme circumstances.

In truth, her eyes were worth a pretty penny and could do hefty damage to the universe if given to the wrong person.

Tobi had saved the world from a morbid fate by stealing the girl and manipulating her. At least for now.

He watched her strike the training post, her taijutsu skills occasionally peeking from behind the curtains. With a swing of her right leg, her shin knocked the post off balance.

The masked nin stared blankly as she knelt down to lift her pant leg up to reveal the already forming purple bruise.

She chewed on her lower lip, poking it to test the pain. With a wince, she shook herself off and began training once more.

This continued for hours. Tobi eventually hopped down and landed beside her. She squeaked in surprise, bowing her head. "Go-good evening, Tobi-san."

The man nodded. "Evening, Hime. How are you this cool, damp night?" He asked, tricking her into thinking he only just showed up. His childish voice was back and unsettling as ever.

"I'm okay. Just a bit drained." She piped cheerfully. He could see it in her eyes that she had been thinking long and hard as she trained that day. He could see it in her careful training.

The masked nin nodded once more, raising a finger. "Do you want to see the ocean, Hime?"

Hinata's eyebrows rose. "You would take me?" She asks, peering into the eyehole.

For a second, there was a glint of blood red in his eye. She blinked, and it went away. How strange.

"Yes, yes I would!" he practically screamed.

The girl winced. "Arigatou!"

He carried the small teen on his back, seeing as she was lagging behind the first 20 minutes of the walk there. The girl was worried in the back of her mind that something would raise out of the water, scaly and angry. Open water, and the thought of it, made her quite queasy. She stared ahead as it came into view.

As the sun faded away, the water revealed itself to be dark and endless. Something was quite relaxing about it, though.

She dropped from his back and walked ahead of him to the short patch of dull colored sand. Hinata soon realized her fear of the open water wasn't as strong as she thought. She rolled her pants up to her shins and stepped into the small crashing waves. They beat around the sides of her feet in a melodic rhythm.

With a sigh and a stretch, her sore muscles didn't feel so sore.

"Thank you, Tobi-san.." she mumbled with her eyes closed. She was taking in the scent of the sea salt.

Not hearing any sort of response, she turned her head to look where he had been seconds ago.

He was gone?

She faced the water again, but only to be met with a groaning and moaning, seaweed covered Tobi. "I, the seaweed monster of your waking nightmares, will eat you!" He shouted, his giggly voice taking over. "Hime will be so very tasty for her mighty, handsome, seaweed monster!"

The girl made a sound akin to chicken being stepped on, and she fell back on her bottom as she tried to escape his reach.

Her face was turning several shades of red as the man cackled and pulled the strands of seaweed from his hair.

"Tobi!" She shrieked. "That wasn't nice!"

Her eyes were still doe-like, wide and frightened as he pulled her to her feet.

He placed his hands on his hips, mimicking a mother hen. "Do you wish for your sweet Tobi-san to starve?!" He reprimanded. "Hahaha!" He laughed, catching her constant string of emotions that flashed across her face.

"Tobi-san, it wasn't that funny." She looked away from him at the tiny ripples of waves at their feet.

She erupted into a fit of giggles when the masked nin placed seaweed on top of her head. "Do-do I look alright?" she asked jokingly.

Tobi nodded, repositioning it a few times. "Hime has never looked better!" he squealed.

She slipped it off and held it in her hands for a moment, feeling its texture under the pads of her fingers.

"Could I ask a question of Tobi-san?" She meekly said, flickering her eyes up at him.

The man went quiet, tilting his head. "Why did you bring me with you?" She asks.

The older man thought for a moment. Why had he? What was the real reason, aside from the excuses he made to cover up the true motive?

He's known her for just over two weeks at this point. He's gone to extreme lengths to keep her there, and to get Pein to accept her as a member. He strangled Deidara hours before their spontaneous adventure to the ocean for bad mouthing the meek, small girl.

Why?

He normally wouldn't care less about a woman. Or anyone for that matter. He had one goal.

The dots hadn't connected just yet. He acted like a wolf in sheep's clothing around her. He wouldn't reveal himself to her. Not until he had to.

"I don't know yet." He said stiffly. His shrouded tone scared her. She stepped back to escape his intense stare.

"I see. We should head back, yeah?"

He went into her room late at night, just to watch her breathing. He often couldn't sleep for days, but her presence had an immense calming effect on his brain in the small amount of time he knew she existed. He felt alright, and comfortable, watching her breathe.

That was probably why he kept her as his pet for so long, now.

The calm that he felt was long gone the first time she cried out his name in her sleep.

"Naruto!! Don't leave!" She cried into the void of her pitch black bedroom.

It was the Jinchuuriki, Minato Namikaze's son. How fitting of Tobi to find the girl who was in love with his former sensei's child. The young boy that they would soon destroy.

His heart began to beat heavily as she kept screaming out his name.

He took it upon himself to place the pitiful girl under genjutsu to relieve her anxieties. To make her not think of the boy in her subconscious.

She calmed immediately and began to softly snore once again. A smile tugged at his mouth. How bittersweet.

(Line break)

"Behind you, Hime!!" Tobi screamed out at the field. Deidara was chasing the angel with fire in his eyes. The blonde had grown irritated by the sight of the girl for whatever reason, Tobi noted. The maniac would be sure to try and kill her during their training session. It's probably why Pein ordered she go against him first.

The girl spun on her heel, releasing a kunai in the artists direction. He avoided it by sidestepping and grabbing the weapon to use it against her. She pushed chakra to her feet and took off up a tree to escape the paper bomb he attached to her previously used throwing knife. The trunk of the tree she was on exploded into splinters, leaving her to become vulnerable to Deidara-senpai's attacks, and out in the open before the other members scrutinizing gaze.

She was completely useless against Deidara's attacks and it would be almost impossible to get close to him with his explosive clay at his disposal.

She quickly formulated a plan to sneak up behind him, but she needed a bunshin to do so. Did she have enough chakra built up to do so?

It felt almost infuriating to feel like she could perform the jutsu, but her body wouldn't allow it half the time.

Dropping her previous plan, as the pyromaniac was a clever man, and could easily decipher between them.

Their fight seemed entirely fruitless. He was a long ranged fighter, and it had become immediately obvious that she was a former close range ninja. Thankfully, Shark-san had tossed her a katana earlier that day before the fight for the girl to use as a backup weapon. She hadn't even known how to use it, but she guessed it would be of some help.

Out of nowhere, the crazy man jumped high in the air, and pulled clay from his pockets, tossing the spider-shaped blobs in the air around her.

One by one, each arachnid exploded with such velocity and chakra, she temporarily lost her hearing. The clouds of dust around her clouded her vision.

She blinked incessantly, rubbing her eyes. She needed her sight! Her hearing wasn't as important at the moment. But losing both at the same time could result in something terrible.

She made hand seals and disappeared from the area, leaving a "confused" clone in her place.

Finally, her eyes focused once more and she could plainly see Deidara-senpai on a clay bird in the sky. He dropped several more spiders in the area, believing it to be her.

Hinata winced when the clone dispelled and the maniac screamed in anger.

"Where are you, stupid shithead?!" He zoomed the camera over his eye in on the trees below him and dangerously close to the girl.

He smirked, but was a few seconds too late to react to her next move. Three shuriken with paper bombs attached embedded themselves in the bird he was seated on.

Two seconds passed, and the bird exploded with a loud bang that cracked through the air around them.

Concerned of her Senpai's fate, she took off out of hiding and approached the mangled body. "Deidara-senpai!" She cried out, crouching down.

Her eyes fell to the ground in front of her where the shadow looming behind her engulfed her own. "What a terrible fight, yeah!" His shrill voice sounded demanding, as if he expected better. Did he?

Maybe she was doomed to be a weakling.

"If you hadn't exposed yourself so easily at the sight of my death, there may have been a chance for you, but you blew it. So surprising." she could almost feel the smirk on his mouth, along with the cold pinch of the cold metal on the back of her neck.

She lost.

The young woman wiped her eyes of the threatening tears. "Go-gomenasai.." She mumbled. She watched the gross, bloody clone evaporate before her eyes as she stood to her feet.

"Hn." The blonde huffed, walking off.

Hinata pulled the blade from its holster on her back and touched the sleek blade. Was it possible to..

No.

Her eyes roamed over the space where Tobi was just 10 minutes ago.

Where'd he go?

Her pants she'd been wearing were torn to shreds after Deidara's first attack with insect explosives, leaving several deep burns on her legs. With a frown, she decided that when she got back to her room she'd discard them or use the remaining fabric that was untouched to patch other clothes up.

The walk through the hideout was exhausting, so she settled for a soak in the springs in the caved entrance. Sinking into the hot water, she heaved a heavy sigh, despite the stinging of her burns being heated. Her heavy, sweat-filled head of hair was tied high off her shoulders, leaving her shoulders exposed to the steam.

How relaxing…

Her relaxation ended quickly after as her thoughts began to haunt her.

She only wanted to know one thing about Tobi, as she respected his privacy. Who is he and why did he wear a mask?

Was he hideous?

An ugly face didn't tend to bother her, she realized. She'd even come to believe Kisame was handsome after getting to know him.

There couldn't be anything worse looking than a shark-man with sharpened teeth, could there?

Well, Kisame wasn't ugly he was just extremely unique. Yeah, that was it.

Her eyes followed the bubbles in the water as the sulfur from the heated volcanic rock rose. Details were usually able to entertain her.

Much like the details of her past, and the details of the dreams she often had.

Most of them were about Tobi-san's swirly mask. The oranges and blacks tended to stick out heavily in her poor mind. And the blonde man, with sky-blue eyes.. He was beautiful.

She smiled, wondering if he was her lover? Or perhaps, they were best friends?

It was useless to think on these things until the fuller picture showed up. Tobi said it was unlikely they would ever come back, but they already are. Thankfully, he didn't know it and he couldn't read her mind. He'd shown her many times a protective side that would surely dislike her blue-eyed dream man.

A smile crept over her lips. No one could take away her dreams. They were hers.

Even leader-sama, and Tobi, and the rest of them together couldn't take these thoughts away. At least she hoped…

Their threats were terrifying, and she knew that the things they did in this cult were immoral, but she was worried to experience the full wrath of this said evil at some point, which was bound to happen.

She would most likely be forced to fight for the rest of her life, even if her memories came back.

She swallowed the saliva that was building in her mouth.

And… why did her heart pound every time she witnessed him watching her fight Deidara-senpai earlier? Why did she want to succeed for Tobi? She wanted him to be proud.

She felt as if there was something else he wasn't saying. Like he had a lover, or was a widow or something ludicrous like that.

Her pale eyes slowly shut in internal agony. This was so draining, physically and mentally. Something in the back of her mind told her that she would slowly deteriorate if she was here too long. In the few weeks, the other members proved themselves to be quite volatile and erratic. Tell-tale signs of psychopathic murderers. That's what they were.

There was no denying the festering sense of dread in her chest. It was almost familiar, as if it existed in the missing puzzle pieces of her life.

(Line break)

"Love." She said simply.

"What is love without hatred? What is happiness without suffering? Tell me, Hyuuga."

"Love will always thaw the coldest of hearts, Tobi-san. Suffering comes with the loss of love. Should there always be love, there will be no pain."

"So naive… In a world where Shinobi exist, in a world with death and rot, animals and soil, there will always be loss. Suffering and hatred are born from loss. Becoming attached and feeling love will always end the same, Hime. Hatred will always exist."

The girl stared off into the distance, listening to the pouring rain over the leaves above them. "So, how do we rid the world of the rot and hate?"

When he didn't say anything, she continued. "As you said, hate will always exist, so why try to fix anything in our world? It will just evolve in the next, and more innocent lives will be destroyed."

Tobi was quiet as he watched her steady breathing pattern. She was so undeniably real. So real, he could touch her. So real, he could slit her throat and save himself from the pain she'd cause.

"How could you understand love if you've only been alive for a few weeks?"

She looked up at him, a blank look donning her face. "I don't know exactly, but I feel it in everything." her lip twitched as she felt the urge to cry. She'd said too much.

The masked ninja tilted his head. "In what?"

She resorted to examining the cracks in the wall of the cave she was facing. He was trying to figure her out. "Kindness is a form of love. Y-you showed me love when you placed a blade over Deidara-senpai's throat for threatening me, and when you spared me after I fell, though I've become a burden since then." His gaze was like an elephant on her chest. She heaved a sigh, leaning back.

A few moments passed before he spoke again. "If I had killed you out of kindness, would that have been considered out of love as well, Tenshi?"

She felt a tear roll down her cheek. It felt like a slap in the face, stinging and burning, to hear his honesty. "You would have relieved me of an entire world filled with pain and confusion, _Akuma."_ she spat.

He showed no signs of offense but her words clenched at his chest. As much as he wanted, he couldn't deny that he cared for her. Seeing her cry was like inflicting pain upon oneself. He didn't have to, and it didn't feel relieving like he'd hoped. Their walk to town for supplies ended in disaster, with no supplies to boot.


End file.
